Jharkhand HC defers Hemant Soren’s plea against ED summons to Oct 13

The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday deferred the hearing on a writ petition filed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren against ED summons to October 13th.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had filed a writ petition challenging the ED summons issued against him in a money laundering case. ED asked Soren to appear before the agency’s zonal office at Ranchi on September 23, by issuing the 4th summon.

Soren moved the state High Court after his petition to the Supreme Court was rejected and he was directed by the top court on Monday to approach the concerned High Court with his plea against the ED’s summons.

The bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi refused to entertain the plea filed by Soren. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Jharkhand Chief Minister sought to withdraw the plea.

Soren filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the summons issued against him and stated that the case against him was a clear case of abuse of law by the Central Government and misuse of the Central agencies to destabilize the democratically elected Government of the State of Jharkhand of which he is the Chief Minister.

ED asked Soren to join its investigation in the alleged money laundering case on August 24, but the Jharkhand chief minister didn’t appear before the central agency on that day.

In his plea, Soren urged the top court to declare Section 50 & Section 63 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 as ultra vires to the Constitution of India and to issue appropriate direction to declare the summons against him as illegal and void.

Soren submitted that the issuance of summons is actuated by malice and false allegations has been levelled against the petitioner with the sole motive of creating political uncertainty and unrest in the State.

He further added that the ED also sought to link the petitioner with the alleged illegal mining of stone chips in Jharkhand and accordingly summons was issued.